Rodel Exemplary Teacher Nomination

Nomination link for 2017 Rodel Exemplary Teachers will be available here in May 2016.

What type of teacher is the Exemplary Teacher Initiative looking for?

Rodel is looking for teachers who demonstrate these primary characteristics:

The teacher’s students are achieving above the state average, as shown by two years of classroom level student achievement data.

The teacher demonstrates classroom instruction skills and techniques that you, as principal, would like to duplicate for all staff members.

The teacher is able to communicate their techniques that yield strong student learning.

The teacher is willing to mentor student teachers in their classroom over the next three years.

What type of student achievement data should I include?

Please include any data which the school collects. The more information you can provide on the student learning in your nominee’s classroom the better opportunity our team will have at fully understanding the success in their classroom. Here are examples of data you should consider including:

AIMS (including percentage of students in each category) (2013-2014)

AzMERIT (including percentage of students at each scoring level) (2015)

Rodel receives many questions regarding appropriate data. Rodel is interested in data which reveals student growth and student learning. Please consider sharing data which demonstrates these. The data should tell the story of student success in the nominee’s classroom.

Why should I nominate a teacher to be an Exemplary Teacher?

There are many reasons why it will benefit your school and district to nominate a teacher. The first and foremost is to allow Arizona’s finest teachers the opportunity to train the next generation of teachers. They will be able to “pay it forward” with the support and guidance of Rodel.

Recognition of outstanding success at our schools is an important component of communicating with our communities. All nominees are recognized as outstanding teachers in their school. Schools are encouraged to celebrate the accomplishments of these nominees. This may be done by announcing their nomination in a newsletter, on social media or on a school marquee.

Nominees who become semifinalists will have a Rodel team visit their classroom to observe their teaching and interview them. Semifinalists will bring positive recognition to their classroom and school. As teachers reach the finalist stage, Rodel will work with district community relation’s teams to ensure they are highlighted, not only in local newspapers and online, but are also recognized by your district and community.

An additional benefit will be the opportunity to bring high-potential student teachers to your school. This will allow your school and district to determine if these future teachers are good fits to become effective educators at your school and in your district.